percussion strokes and masage sequence

Percussion strokes are more stimulating than relaxing it consists of a range of brisk rhythmic strokes performed repeatedly while alternating your hands.
Cupping is a little bit noisy while plucking, hacking and pummeling are quieter. The main point of percussion strokes is to stimulate the soft tissue areas.
Cupping is simple; cup your hand arching them at the knuckles while keeping the fingers straight. Now rapidly alternate drumming strokes like hacking or pummeling. Your cupped hands trap air against the skin then releasing it which makes a loud clapping sound.
Plucking is just what it sounds like you simply pinch or pluck the skin taking small bunches of flesh which should slip easily through your fingers with each plucking stroke.
Hacking is like karate chopping the back. Which is actually what i used to call it before I found out that it was called hacking instead. You bounce the sides of your hands alternately and fairly rapidly up and down with your palms facing each other and fingers together loosely try it out in the air and be sure to get a good rhythm going before you bring your hands down on your partner and work on the muscles directly.
Pummeling is when you loosely clench your fist then alternately and lightly pound your fist with the fleshy sides of your fist making sure that they are closed loosely so that they bounce firmly yet lightly up and down.

When giving a massage you start with the back of the body starting at the top and working your way down. You start with the back first working broadly over the whole area and then working on the smaller ones like the shoulder blades, upper back, lower back, buttocks and the spine. Start off by using lighter strokes then using deeper ones working into the deep tissue then using the lighter strokes again. After doing the back move onto the back of the legs oil them first unless you’re working with towels then you oil them one at a time. Work up each leg then knead your way down it, then finally massaging the foot.
Next start on the shoulders, neck and scalp; first begin with the shoulders massaging both the front and back at once. After that turn the head to the side to massage each shoulder separately and the sides of the neck. After that you complete this area by lightly massaging the scalp. After massaging the head, shoulder and scalp area move onto the face. Do this be lightly circling your fingertips on your partners forehead then moving down to the chin working outward from center and out to the sides. Eyes, nose, jaw muscles and ears are all paid special attention to.
Next are the arms and hands, each arm is massaged separately using the lighter strokes that were mentioned earlier such as feathering and the long stroke, and then the deep tissue strokes like fingertip pressure, thumb rolling and heel of hand pressure. You massage the arms like you do the legs work your way up the arm draining it then kneading your way down it and ending with a wrist and hand massage.
continued on next post